Best of luck!

Oh hey, it’s the same map, for seemingly everything. “Freedom” in this case largely coincides with the freedom of the wealthy to influence and buy the press and spread their messaging.

As a boot lover, I just suffer through the heat, lmao.

I’d say follow @FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee’s comment for sandals/open top heels, but maybe see if you can find more breathable socks to wear! Some can be quite cooling.

There are a handful of users that are extremely dedicated to trying to get people to block or defederate from Lemmy.ml on account of all of the Marxists, Communists, etc. It wouldn’t be surprising if more people have blocked it, but those generally aren’t going to be people that I’d want to interact with much to begin with.

Self-study and exercise. I read Marxist-Leninist theory (as well as scientific articles and other non-fiction that interests me) every day, and work out 4 times a week. Both have significantly improved my life.

I’d rather it be transparent, or non-existent. Hexbear is nice, it has no downvotes, but some users like the ability to downvote for other instances. I think it could be on an instance to decide to implement it, but not for the “flagship” instance. Though, I’d prefer it be put to a vote. I think it has use cases for sure.

Good thing the Black Book of Communism, the only source asserting a number as high as 100 million deaths due to Communism, has been thoroughly debunked due to errors such as

1. Counting Nazis killed during World War II as deaths due to Communism
2. Counting non-births as deaths due to Communism
3. Counting people killed by the Nazis as deaths due to Communism
4. Making numbers up in order to hit the 100 million mark for the “clickbait” of it all
5. And much, much more.

As always, incredible job and fantastic research, comrade. That was a fascinating read (and sickening, too).

I didn’t say all, I listed a couple sources I know are. You didn’t make any point.

Linking a bunch of Wikipedia pages isn’t really a point, especially with propaganda outlets like HRW and Amnesty International featured prominently as sources. A country being Socialist doesn’t mean it’s a perfect wonderland, just that public ownership is the principle aspect of its economy.

By and large, though, these countries do much better than Capitalist peer countries, with higher life expectancies, literacy rates, lower poverty rates, and more. Further, they are usually the targets of large sanctions and embargoes, and subject to constant western propagandizing and myth making.

If you have a specific thing you’re curious about, we can go in depth and try to separate fact from fiction, or contextualize them. If not, and you’re just going to call countries “ass” because they protect their economies from US financial Capital, then there’s not much to discuss.

And I’d be down to live in China for a few years, or Vietnam, for sure. Wouldn’t want to move away from my family for the long run though.

Your original comment is that it’s impossible for a liberal to turn into a fascist. The reality of fascism and liberalism is that they are ideological justifications for the same system in different circumstances, they aren’t competing schools of thought or anything.

Liberalism and fascism are descriptors for superstructural ideology sprouting from the same base in different circumstances. The liberal Weimar Republic quickly became the fascist Nazi Germany not out of a pivot in underlying ideas, necessarily, but due to the natural changing material conditions the same Mode of Production found itself in.

Liberalism and fascism are tied.

Such as?

Russia is no longer guided by Communist leadership, but both the PRC and former USSR are examples of countries led by Communists, with Socialist systems. Same with Cuba, the DPRK, Vietnam, Laos, and more.

Liberalism and fascism are the same ideology in different economic and social circumstances. That’s why the saying goes “scratch a liberal, and a fascist bleeds,” the underlying system supported by both is heavily based on the private ownership of the means of production.

Wait, y’all are getting Xibucks? I want mine… 😔

Yea, I was going along with you, lol

“Peasants and workers,” I see.

Can you elaborate?

The lack in certainty at the extent of the excesses in the Russian Revolution primarily stems from separating what actually happened on the ground, and what was reported in Western countries via anti-communist propaganda. Revolution is bloody business, and the Tsarists resisting the Russian Civil War fought hard against the newly Socialist society emerging, as well as 14 Capitalist countries that had invaded to shut down the revolution.

All governments are oppressive, what matters is which class is doing the oppressing. In the Soviet Union, the Proletariat had taken control, and wielded the power of the state to shut down fascists, Tsarists, and the bourgeoisie. The outcome was quite positive for the Working Class. Throughout the history of the Soviet Union, immense strides were made.

Free healthcare, childcare, and education were provided. Literacy rates tripled to 99.9%, life expectancy doubled from the 30s to the 70s, and the USSR managed to go from feudalism to space in half a century as a consequence. Women’s rights were expanded greatly. The Red Army also liberated the world from the threat of the Nazis, having been responsible for the taking of Berlin, and 90% of the total Nazi deaths. Wealth inequality shrank dramatically, while economic growth boomed. The USSR also supported national liberation movements against Colonialism and Imperialism, in countries like Cuba, Algeria, Korea, China, Vietnam, and Palestine.

All in all, Lenin indeed was an oppressor from the perspective of the bourgeoisie. However, from the perspective of the proletariat, he was a hero, and is celebrated as a liberator from the oppression of the Tsar.